Thank you.

JXTA is alive with joy and energy as 2018 draws to a close. This year, our paid youth apprentices trained alongside professional artists to hone creative talents and work on real client projects. We hosted activists, international artists, and other creatives in our gallery space and JXTA Labs. And we launched a $14 million capital campaign for a new building. While we raise this money, a new skate-able art plaza will become a hub of activity for North Minneapolis in the summer of 2019.

#ShopJXTA

This holiday season, shop unique ceramics, screen-printed textiles, and other hand-crafted items made by youth and young adult apprentices at Juxtaposition Arts. Support the next generation of local artists. #ShopJXTA.

Buy handmade gifts directly from our apprentices at the JXTA Gallery pop-up shop during business hours in December!

From November 15 – January 2, buy a 🚗 at Morrie’s Minnetonka Subaru and they will donate $300 to Juxtaposition Arts per car sold!

Visit Morrie’s location at 12520 Wayzata Blvd in Minnetonka and check out our first curated exhibition of work created by youth apprentices in our Graphic Design Lab. The work displayed is a curated mix of original works and work our apprentices have created for clients with guidance from our teaching artist staff. Hats off to our talented youth apprentices.

Thank you to Morrie’s Minnetonka Subaru for their generosity.

#PopOut4JXTA

Help us raise $10K on Give to the Max Day on November 15 for JXTA’s new mural!

Too often, people on the Northside of Minneapolis don’t see themselves reflected positively. We’re changing that. For this year’s Give to the Max Day, we’re asking you to help us reach our goal of $10K to create a new mural which will capture the people and energy of one of the Twin Cities’ most vibrant communities. This is the next step in a legacy campaign that will develop JXTA and the Northside (learn more about that project here).

A digital rendering of what the skate-able art plaza will look like. The plaza is set to be built and debuted in Spring 2019. Money raised during Give to the Max Day will fund the production of a new mural to decorate the wall behind the skate lot.

JXTA mural work example: Black August mural, completed 2017.

JXTA mural work example: Who We Are mural, completed 2016.

Why bubbles?

For this Give to the Max, our theme is BUBBLES. We’ve been blowing bubbles off the roof of 2007 Emerson Avenue North for over 10 years. Roger Cummings, JXTA’s co-founder and Chief Cultural Producer, started this tactical strategy by blowing bubbles out of his apartment window in Minneapolis’ Warehouse District in the 1990s. Now, we use the Bubbletron on JXTA’s roof to indicate our location and to demonstrate our long-time commitment to creative placemaking. So, to tell our story for #GTMD18, we’re using bubbles, illustrated by JXTA Graphics Lab apprentice Lilly. Read on to learn about her process in creating the illustrations.

Behind the Animation: Interview with Graphics Apprentice Lilly

Your name, age, and grade:

Lilian Donahue, 17, 12th Grade (Senior in HS).

What year/session did you start at JXTA?

I started at JXTA in Summer 2017 and started working here in the fall.

How did you get involved at JXTA?

I took the VALT program for the experience, was offered the chance for an interview, and jumped at the opportunity.

Tell us a little bit about the process for creating the animations for Give to the Max Day. Where did the inspiration come from? How did you storyboard/illustrate them?

I took inspiration from the GiveMN logo, and bright, fun, modern motifs. I drew representations of each moment, added notes for smaller, cuter animations. I also made sure to include patterns and colors.

Did you face any challenges? If you did, how did you problem-solve?

It was a struggle to make the movement of the bubbles look natural.

What was the most fun part?
Creating color palettes and creating the stop-motion effect.

Tell us about another project you’ve worked on in your time at JXTA:
I’ve done various other animated “Thank you’s” and logos similar to this. Examples include an animation for FLOW 2018 and a Cartoon Network bumper exercise.

Earlier this summer, we sat down with Graphic Design Lab Junior Art Director DJ Bryant to talk about his experience as an intern at Target Corp.

Name: DJ Bryant

Age: 18

Lab: Graphic Design

Title: Junior Art Director

How long have you been in the Graphic Design Lab at JXTA?

I’ve been in Graphics for three and a half years.

When did you complete VALT [Visual Art Literacy Training]?

I went through VALT when I was thirteen; I actually started here through Free Wall [intro to aerosol course] and through Free Wall I learned about VALT.

What brought you to JXTA?

The thing that brought me to JXTA was my interest in community development. And my mom’s friend is a friend of Roger’s, so she put me in touch with this diverse and community-driven program, and I said “hey that sounds pretty cool, let’s do that.”

What’s your favorite part about working at JXTA?

I really like the collaboration aspect. When I first started my art career, I wanted to be a freelancer, but being in a studio space has shifted that to a more collaborative path where I can talk to artists, get feedback, and instantly have conversations with other artists.

Tell me about a project you’ve worked on.

I recently finished the Morrie’s Subaru project. It was a vinyl mural to jive up their kids room. The mural spans an approximately 9 foot x 8 foot wall; don’t quote me on that, but it’s pretty big. It was a lot of illustrative work, so it was definitely a really fun project because I do kids stuff at Target, too. I do designs for the youth brand Cat & Jack.

What do you think is the most important thing you’ve learned in your time at JXTA?

I’ve learned a lot of important stuff, but I’d probably say collaborating and communicating with clients in a professional manner and not underselling my skills when it comes to client projects. Also, doing business with clients in general as an artist because it’s very different than doing business with another business when you’re already a business.

Now I want to talk about Target!

Yes I was working in product design and development as a Design Intern.

How did you land this internship?

Jared [Hanks, Head of Business Development] put me into contact, submitted my portfolio, and put a good word in for me at Target. Jared came through.

Have you worked with Target [through JXTA] in the past?

No, the biggest client I’d worked with before Target was 3M. I worked on their sustainability report cover. [Check out that project here.]

So tell me a little bit of what you’ve worked on at Target.

I’ve worked on graphic illustrations for the 2019 summer line for Cat & Jack. I can’t say much about it—you know, NDAs, I don’t wanna get hit with a lawsuit.

How has your time at JXTA helped you prepare for this internship?

I think it’s prepared me in terms of teaching me how to conduct myself professionally in a studio space and not act like a complete fool; to act like I know what I’m doing, which questions to ask, and to know how to respond to feedback and critique appropriately. And also how to ask my higher-ups questions if I am lost or need assistance.

Anything else we should know?

I just want people to know that Target is a really good company to work for and work with; even if you’re not at the headquarters, Target is really about inclusivity and pushing for diversity. They really encourage individuality in the workplace so you don’t have to come all dressed up every day; you bring yourself how you are and you’ll be treated well because Target is full of great people. They even have a training where they teach you how to go about interacting with a coworker that’s more introverted than extroverted. They try to cater to your personality type which is very interesting in the workplace.

What’s next?

Next I’m going to college at Hamline, double-majoring in drawing in digital media arts so I get the best of both worlds.

We are stoked to have partnered with Dangerous Man Brewing Co. to create a limited-edition, custom-brewed JXTA Golden Ale! Brewed in a small batch, the golden ale’s flavor profile of lemon, turmeric, and ginger was developed by JXTA Chief Cultural Producer Roger Cummings and the crowler (a 750ml can of beer) label was designed by JXTA youth apprentices in the Graphic Design Lab. For every beer sold during its limited run, Dangerous Man generously donates $1 to help fund our forthcoming Skate-able art plaza. Read on to learn more about the process, our collaboration with Dangerous Man, and a quick interview with the lead apprentice on the project, Patricio De Lara. Plus, check out photos from the event here!

THE COLLABORATION

This summer, the folks at Northeast’s Dangerous Man Brewing Co. approached us to collaborate on a JXTA-themed brew. As part of Dangerous Man’s commitment to giving back to their community, the brewery identifies and seeks out opportunities to create one-of-a-kind limited-edition brews with organizations that provide valuable goods, services, and programs to the Twin Cities area.

“We choose our community partners that are providing positive impact programs to the Minneapolis/St. Paul area,” says Hilari Bandow, former Operations Manager and Events and Volunteer Coordinator at Dangerous Man who initially reached out to us about this project. “The $1 kickback program is a way to raise funds for an organization by giving a dollar from every beer sold in the taproom to the nonprofit. This program runs for the entire duration of the beer’s life on tap.” As part of this collaboration, $1 of every JXTA Golden Ale sold will go towards programming the skate-able art plaza we’re building on the corner of Emerson and Broadway (read more about that here).

THE PROCESS

After Dangerous Man reached out to us, we worked with their team to develop the brand and flavor of the beer. JXTA Chief Cultural Producer and co-founder Roger Cummings sat down with DM Brewer John Leingang to sample brew types and flavor add-on options. Taking inspiration from his daily morning tea routine, he settled on a golden ale with the healthy combination of lemon, ginger, and turmeric. All three flavors were well-suited to lend a bright color profile to the golden ale, and the addition of turmeric was an exciting one for the Dangerous Man team as they had never brewed with it before.

Next came the designs. Several of the Graphic Design Lab apprentices produced a number of concepts, each with a distinct look and feel. All of them were informed by the JXTA brand as well as the beer’s flavors and color scheme (check out a few of the runners-up below). The final designs for the crowlers and the accompanying merchandise were chosen by Roger Cummings. With these designs, a limited run of t-shirts were printed by JXTA’s Textiles & Screen Printing Lab. These limited t-shirts were available for purchase at the beer’s release event, in addition to buttons and stickers.

Concept design by Graphic Design Lab apprentice Avahnii L.

Concept design by Graphic Design Lab apprentice Malee V.

The final design, created by apprentice Patricio D.

THE RELEASE

On Wednesday, September 12, Dangerous Man hosted a party to celebrate the beer’s release. Visitors had the chance to try the beer on tap, buy limited-edition t-shirts, buttons, and stickers, and learn about JXTA from our apprentices. We shared drinks, created buttons, and made new friends. Check out photos from the event here (photos by Riché Effinger).

Get to know the designer: Patricio De Lara

JXTA apprentice in the Graphic Design Lab since August 2017.

What was the process like designing the JXTA Dangerous Man beer label?
It was challenging, nerve-racking, and incredibly fulfilling. All of us who worked on concepts for the label wanted it so badly, so we were all extremely passionate and driven to go and get it. Greta (the Graphic Design Lab Lead) had us follow a strict design process where we would start out with 15-20 sketches, and then eliminate the ones we didn’t feel as strongly about. Once we had a full presentation deck, we played the waiting game to see which label would be approved.

How was it different from other projects you’ve worked on?
We were given a ton of creative freedom to explore different stylistic approaches and really interpret what JXTA would look and feel like when applied to something like a beer label.

How many designs were submitted?
There were a total of 15 INCREDIBLE designs. My colleagues and I really raised the bar for the quality of work that JXTA can produce. Truthfully, any one of those designs could’ve been chosen.

What narrowed it down to yours?
I think I showed the artistic and free-flowing aesthetic that JXTA has included in its creative toolbox for so long. At the same time, I was able to modernize it and make it uniquely mine.

What was the most challenging part?
Surprisingly, the chosen design was the last one I worked on, but I knew it was different than the rest of my concepts. I tried hand-lettering, which is something I’m less comfortable with. That process was interesting; I didn’t know if my risks would pay off or not, but I’m glad they did.

What was the most fun?
Being able to share this experience with the young creatives around me and learning so much along the way. We’ve cultivated a passionate and dedicated culture in the Graphics Lab, and I’m so proud of that.

What was it like to show off your stuff at the beer release event?
It made me believe in how much I can do. Being able to design all the branding for an event like that was ridiculously fun and satisfying. This is just a small step for what I will accomplish down the road, and I am so thankful that JXTA is giving me the tools I need to do bigger and better things.

Special thanks to our partners and friends at City of Skate and Young Joni for their support in making this event a huge success.

Current Exhibit

KEALEBOGA TLALANG
Visiting Artist Residency + Exhibition

Juxtaposition Arts (JXTA) is excited to present the work of South African artist Kealeboga Tlalang in his first U.S. solo exhibition. Working in mixed media collage, Tlalang creates beautiful textural portraits that link puzzle and play to synthesize his love for mathematics, science, and art.

Tlalang’s focus is the expressiveness of the human face. Fascinated by the ability for the face to tell many stories–stoicism, melancholy, joy–Tlalang’s work expresses a deep curiosity for human subtleties. Art for him is akin to biographical writing, where each collage allows him to represent different movements and shifts in his own observations of the world around him.

In addition to the exhibition, Tlalang will also work with youth in the JXTA Labs in an art-making workshop where he will share his creative process with young artists at JXTA. Apprentices will have the opportunity to explore paint, collage, and other multimedia techniques with the artist during this residency.

Kealeboga Tlalang: on view at the JXTA Gallery from September 24 through November 10

About the Artist:

Kealeboga Tlalang was born in 1991 in the Northwest province of South Africa in a small village called Gopane. His love for art developed around the age of seven from observing his uncle–an artist–Utukile Lucas Tlalang. During his years in school, Tlalang would draw pictures for his school-mates and teachers so that he could buy lunch since his parents didn’t have enough money for food. During this time, he fell in love with something else, something he discovered he had a talent for: numbers and mathematics. He completed matric at Ramotshere High School and was awarded a sponsorship to pursue his studies in mathematics.
Tlalang moved to Johannesburg from Zeerust in 2012 to study mathematical science at the University of Johannesburg. During his second year, he felt incomplete; his love for art was consuming him and he wondered if he had pursued the wrong career. That same year, he knew something had to be done: either continue with mathematics or return to art-making. He felt fulfilled by both, but knew he had to choose just one.
Ultimately, he chose art, because in his artwork he is able to incorporate his love for mathematics and numbers. As his career as an artist was put into motion, Tlalang joined the Living Artist Emporium platform where he was given opportunities to exhibit with well-known artists in prestigious galleries. He received recognition in magazine features, television interviews, and art fairs. Tlalang now has his own studio in Johannesburg, sharing a building with some of the most prominent South African and African visual artists.

Current Exhibit

Tending The Soil: Black August

Please join the apprentices of Juxtaposition Arts’ Tactical Urbanism and Contemporary and Public Art Labs for Black August 2018, a month-long meditation on the past, present, and future of Black revolutionary struggles. Black August’s origins lie within the organization and activism of incarcerated peoples in California. This year at JXTA, we aim to continue this tradition of unification against prisons and mass incarceration through a series of community dinners co-hosted by community organizer Roxanne O’Brien, local non-profit Better Futures, and printmaker Ricardo Levins Morales. Tending The Soil: Black August also includes an exhibition of original artwork dedicated to Black August principles created by JXTA apprentices from Contemporary and Public Art Lab.

All Black August dinners free and open to the public and will take place from 5:30PM to 8:00PM.

August 3 – with Roxanne O’Brien and Better Futures
August 10 – with Ricardo Levins Morales
August 17 – with Juxtaposition Arts Apprentices

About the Exhibition

Tending The Soil: Black August features work by youth and young adult apprentices in Juxtaposition Arts’ Contemporary and Public Art Lab that explores the ideas of seed harvest and change. They write:

The seeds are our ideas, thoughts, and concepts that can grow into something larger, such as changes and movement. The exhibition is rooted in the idea that the soil–our social environment in which dreams and ideas are planted–must first be tended to. By investigating and then unpacking the narratives surrounding issues such as police brutality, the prison industrial complex, the ethical treatment of prisoners, and imagining a future without police within our communities, we have the power to shift the conditions in which these seeds grow. We have the power to cultivate our own soil, a more balanced soil, for healthier growth.

Exhibition features work from these JXTA Contemporary and Public Art Apprentices:

Recourse: With Notes from Black Wall Street

Recourse: With Notes from Black Wall Street is an assemblage of two research projects that took place in two US cities over the course of the last two years. The first is a Tactical Urbanism project developed by JXTA youth apprentices examining Black business and economic development on West Broadway in North Minneapolis. The second comes from interdisciplinary artist Crystal Z. Campbell and looks at the past and present of another business district formerly known as Black Wall Street in Tulsa, Oklahoma. While on their surfaces these Minneapolis and Tulsa would seem to hold little in common, these two projects are brought together by their shared faith in the ongoing project to produce Black space.

We can see the ways that these cities are perhaps bound together through historical and present struggles to relocate, displace, or dislocate Indigenous and Black people through acts of spatial violence. We can also see the shared traditions of resistance between cities.

The exhibit will be on view until July 28.

Zine Launch

Pay 2 Play Zine Launch: A Look at Race and Art Space in MPLS

Please join us on Thursday, July 12 for a zine launch event in connection with our current exhibition Recourse: With Notes From Black Wall Street. Tactical Urbanism Lab Lead Adrienne Doyle will share findings from her artist-led research project on the racial inequities in ownership and investment in art spaces in Minneapolis, MN. The research will be published in a zine designed by youth and young adult apprentices in JXTA’s Graphics Lab and will be available for purchase during the event.

About the Zine:
Between February 2017 and January 2018, Juxtaposition Arts Tactical Urbanism Lab Lead and artist researcher Adrienne Doyle conducted an arts-based research project on the racial inequities of the ownership and investment of art spaces in Minneapolis, MN. The hypothesis for this project is that POC-led and -focused art organizations in Minneapolis, MN experience significant barriers to raising the capital and other resources they need to own and adequately invest in facilities out of which to do their work. White-led organizations don’t experience these barriers or experience them to a lesser extent.